MLive users respond to the Michigan smoking ban: What effect will it have on our businesses?

View full sizeDarren Breen | Muskegon ChroniclePaul Jachim Jr. the co-owner of Audio Illumination lighting company lights up at the Tipsy Toad Thursday April 22, 2010. Jachim said he will need to buy a hazer for $700, a machine that produces haze, to reproduce the effect of smoke at shows he lights for. He also said, "when I do shows in bars in Ohio I see kids run outside and shiver (while smoking) in the winter time."
(Darren Breen/The Muskegon Chronicle)Starting Saturday, the statewide law banning smoking in workplaces — including bars, restaurants, theaters and bowling alleys — will come into affect.

And people are buzzing about it on MLive.

Some see the bright side of the statewide ban on smoking at work or in public places — it gives them a strong reason to quit.

Others envision business parking lots littered with cigarette butts and folks skipping out on bar tabs on the pretext of taking a smoke break.

A lot of people are discussing whether it's right to have the ban in the first place.

Bucky's dad says that the smoking ban should be the business owners' decision, and banning smoking and other laws are "pure silliness."

... I just wanted to say that the smoking ban, and i have been an ex-smoker for four years now, is entirely unnecessary and these decisions should be left up to the business owners as they should be able to decide what type of customer they wish to target. For years smokers provided non-smokers with non-smoking areas out of respect and I feel the same should be given in this case. And the whole idea of banning smoking outside or making people smoke 30 feet or more away from entrances is nothing more than pure silliness. We tax the hell out of smokers to pay for almost everything in this state and then turn around and pass laws like this. Kind of pointless if you ask me.

Why do you smokers always act like it's your "freedom" or right to pollute the air everyone else breathes? I want the freedom to breathe without inhaling your smoke. And that was precious ... smokers "provided non smokers with nonsmoking areas out of respect". The smoke was always in the room, the nonsmoking section was 10 feet away from where I was trying to enjoy my meal. If smoking was allowed anywhere in the restaurant my clothes reeked of smoke afterwards. And my hair. Smoke in your homes, your cars, your personal space, but I don't want to breathe that crap.

Some commenters are discussing the affect the ban will have on local businesses. Some say that revenues will suffer after the May 1 ban takes place. MLive commenter dbell49509 disagrees, however, using info from the story as back-up.

I do think it's slightly ridiculous for people to think that this ban is going to hurt business. The article states that only 20% of the population of Michigan smokes. That means that 80% don't. I know myself I won't go to places simply because when I get there I can't breath. I will be much more inclined to go to these places now.

To me, it makes more sense for businesses to cater to the 80% of people then the more vocal 20%.

So if 80% of ppl don't smoke (myself included) why does the market not dictate that 80% of restaurants are non-smoking? Let the market decide, not the government!

One commenter discusses a similar ban that took affect in Ohio, and the results year later. Buckeyegal73 explains:

I live in Ohio where I heard the same arguments when the smoking ban was passed here. My smoking friends said they wouldn't go to the bar anymore. Well, 4 years later they are at the bar just as much as before and half of them have quit smoking. Anyone should be able to go out to eat without having to smell like smoke while doing so or having to walk through the smoking section to get to the non-smoking section (happened every time I went to Michigan the last 6 trips). You will find places that ignore the law and that is their choice and they can pay the fines then (happens here all the time). But don't complain when you have to pay the fine because you made the CHOICE to ignore the law.